Chapter 5 - The Counterstrike
The news of Richard Miller’s dramatic arrest in the middle of a Whitman Enterprises board meeting hit the financial headlines like a megaton bomb.
By noon, news vans were parked outside the corporate headquarters, and the company's stock—which had briefly dipped upon news of the scandal—rebounded sharply after the board announced that Amanda Whitman had been named interim Chief Executive Officer, restoring public confidence in the historic family brand.
Sitting in her father's former corner office, Amanda stared out at the rainy Manhattan skyline. The room had been cleared of all Richard's personal belongings, packed neatly into cardboard boxes waiting to be sent to his defense team.
A soft knock came at the door.
Charles walked in, holding a warm mug of tea, which he placed on her desk. "You haven't rested in thirty hours, Amanda. The press conference is in two hours. You should take a break."
"I can't, Charles," Amanda said, turning around. Her eyes were tired, but her resolve was stronger than ever. "Where is Brenda?"
"Brenda was arrested at her luxury apartment four hours ago," Charles reported, sitting down across from her. "The police found thousands of dollars worth of stolen Whitman family jewelry, expensive designer apparel bought with embezzled funds, and a small quantity of illegal narcotics in her master bedroom."
"And Tyler?"
"Child Protective Services took temporary custody of Tyler yesterday evening," Charles said, his voice softening slightly. "Given his mother's arrest and the felony child abuse charges, he is currently placed in a state facility pending a juvenile psychological evaluation."
Amanda sighed, leaning back in her chair. "It's tragic. That boy is nine years old, and Brenda raised him to be a cruel monster. He never stood a chance."
"Do not waste your sympathy on them, Amanda," Charles warned gently. "Brenda’s legal team just posted her bail through a shady bail bondsman backed by an anonymous donor."
Amanda’s brows furrowed instantly. "An anonymous donor? Who would pay bail for a disgraced secretary accused of child abuse and grand larceny?"
Charles’s face turned grim. He opened a laptop and turned it toward her. "Take a look at this."
On the screen was a corporate registry filing submitted three hours ago in the state of Delaware. A new company named Apex Global Capital had just filed a hostile takeover bid for fifteen percent of Whitman Enterprises' public shares.
The managing partner listed on the filing was David Sterling—Richard’s long-time college friend and a notorious hedge-fund vulture known for buying distressed companies, gutting their assets, and firing thousands of employees.
"Richard knew this was coming," Amanda realized, her mind working rapidly. "He didn't just embezzle the money for Brenda. He was funneling money to David Sterling to finance a hostile takeover behind my back!"
"Precisely," Charles nodded. "Richard knew that if you ever caught him cheating or embezzling, you would try to vote him out. So he plotted with Sterling to buy up public shares, strip you of controlling interest, and force the board to sell the company to Apex Global."
"So even from a jail cell, Richard is trying to destroy my father's company," Amanda said, her hands tightening into fists on the desk.
"David Sterling has deep pockets, Amanda," Charles said gravely. "He has already acquired eight percent of public shares on the open market today. If he reaches twenty percent before Friday's public shareholder meeting, he can force a vote to liquidate the company's physical real estate."
Amanda stood up, walking toward the large glass window. The rain splattered against the glass, reflecting the city lights below.
"He thinks because I'm a mother, because I was away from the corporate world for three years raising Ethan, that I don't know how to fight a vulture fund," Amanda said softly.
She turned back to Charles, a brilliant, dangerous spark in her eyes. "Call the CEO of Vanguard Holdings and the head of the State Teachers Retirement Fund. They hold twelve percent of our public stock."
Charles raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What are you offering them?"
"I'm offering them exclusive development rights to our new green-energy patent portfolio—the one Richard tried to shelve last year because he didn't understand its value," Amanda instructed smoothly. "We will issue an emergency stock swap. We give Vanguard seats on our advisory board in exchange for voting proxies."
Charles stared at her for a moment, then a wide, proud smile spread across his face.
"Your father would be dancing in his grave right now, Amanda," Charles chuckled, standing up. "David Sterling won't know what hit him."
"And Charles?" Amanda added as he reached the door.
May you like
"Yes?"
"Find out who that bail bondsman was. If Brenda is out on the street, I want a private security detail surrounding Ethan at your estate twenty-four hours a day. Richard and Brenda are desperate now. And desperate people do crazy things."
